Quasicrystal formation in mechanically alloyed Zr–Ti–Nb–Cu–Ni–Al glassy powders

Abstract

Different from the glassy Zr62Ti7.07Nb2.21Cu12.28Ni9.81Al6.62 melt-spun ribbon that forms a quasicrystalline phase upon devitrification, the corresponding alloy produced by mechanical alloying of elemental powder mixtures does not clearly show quasicrystal formation. However, the addition of an appropriate amount of elemental zirconium to the mechanically alloyed powder changes the crystallization behavior inducing the formation of an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase as the first crystallization product. This indicates that for this multicomponent metallic glass quasicrystal formation in the mechanically alloyed powder is crucially linked to the composition rather than to the question whether there is a special quenched-in short-range order.